1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope washing and disinfecting apparatus that automatically washes and disinfects an endoscope and a washing tube used for the endoscope washing and disinfecting apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Endoscopes are widely used in the medical and industrial fields in recent years. By inserting an elongated insertion portion of an endoscope used in the medical field into a body cavity, it is possible to observe organs in the body cavity and give, if necessary, treatment using a treatment instrument inserted into a treatment instrument insertion channel provided for the endoscope.
Since endoscopes in the medical field are used to be inserted into the body cavity especially for the purposes of inspection and medical treatment, the endoscopes need to be washed and disinfected after use so as to be reused. It is known that such used endoscopes are washed and disinfected using endoscope washing apparatuses disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 6-98857 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 11-99121. Furthermore, an endoscope is provided with a plurality of channels and not only the outer surface of the endoscope but also the inside of the channels need to be washed.
The endoscope washing apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 6-98857 is of a type that a washing tube for sending washing water into a channel is manually fitted to a connector which is a channel base. A tube connector section of the conventional washing tube is provided with a clearance and letting washing water leak from this clearance allows the outer surface of the connector which is the channel base to be also washed.
Furthermore, the endoscope washing apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 11-99121 provides a washing fluid supply nozzle that sends washing water into a channel with an attaching/detaching mechanism that allows detachment from a connector which is a channel base so that a part contacting the contaminated connector can also be washed.